


Confrontation

by The_Unqualified1



Series: Painkiller Paralogues [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ex’s with emotional ties, F/F, Heavy Hospital Talks, Mentioned Jeralt, antibiotics actions, loopy Byleth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:21:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26187124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Unqualified1/pseuds/The_Unqualified1
Summary: Edelgard had a recent break-up.Byleth had a recent sickness.They’re gonna have to talk.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Painkiller Paralogues [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1890841
Comments: 27
Kudos: 102





	Confrontation

**Author's Note:**

> Part two of the Morphine Byleth series! It was going to be a different chapter, this was intended further down to have some fluff in between, but the angst hit and I went with it.  
> Yet another different play on their dynamics! Ex’s this time.  
> Let’s see what happens.

Edelgard had gotten a rather unexpected call from her old TA.

“Ladislava? This better be good.” She wasn’t usually so short with her friend, but she was in a sour mood after everything that had gone down in the last few weeks.

“Well I don’t know how good it is,” The always calm and level headed Ladi sounded surprisingly irked. “But I got a problem I think you’ll want to know about named Byleth Eisner.”

Edelgard’s eyes shot open, not expecting to hear that name right now.

“Ladi… listen, I don’t know what she did but her and I aren’t-”

“No no, she didn’t _do_ anything. Other than collapse in the lab today, giving my supervisors a real scare. I got her to the hospital and she’s got a scary infection.”

That paused Edelgard’s protests.

“Is she… ok?” She couldn't keep the concern out of her voice. As much as she wanted to.

“They got her stable, but she can’t leave right now, she’s on some pretty strong antibiotics. It’d be really great to have someone here with her until she’s steady, and make sure she gets home.”

Edelgard sighed on the other end, clutching the phone.

“Isn’t there someone else you can call?”

“No, her bag got left at campus and you’re the only person I know that might have a spare key to her apartment.”

Edelgard sighed. She did, indeed, still have Byleth’s key. She hadn’t gotten to give it back to her yet, though she’d thought about chucking it out her car window a few times.

“I do… can I just drop it off with you?”

“I’ve been here 10 hours already, I need a shower and a meal that doesn't come out of a vending machine.”

Edelgard was ready to bash her head against a wall.

“Come on Edelgard, grow up for a minute, put aside whatever happened between you two, and help a girl out. You know she doesn’t have any family nearby, and she’s had a _much_ shittier day than you.” Ladislava’s guilt trip was working, and Edelgard couldn’t think of a good response. Things had ended… abruptly more than badly. And maybe she could face her while she was stoned out on antibiotics.

“Fine… what room is she in?”

Edelgard walked into the hospital with a duffle bag over her shoulder. She’d still had a few of Byleth’s things at her place and brought a change of clothes and a few toiletries. She hadn’t seen her since the night things ended, and was still a little shaky at the idea. But this sounded serious. She didn’t really have a choice. And maybe… just maybe she’d get some closure.

When she came into the room she saw Ladislava sitting in the chair to the side, looking exhausted.

“Glad you came.” She said rising with a crick in her back. “The doc said to pick up her meds on the way out, but she should be ready to leave whenever she’s up. They got her on some heavy shit.”

“Did they tell you what she had?” Edelgard asked.

“Some kind of infection in her sinuses, but it was starting to spread. They’re glad it didn’t get to her heart. That’s when things get scary. They think she’s been… overdoing it for the last few weeks. Would make sense. She’s been staying at the labs late, coming in early. I’ve barely seen the girl take a meal. Think something’s bothering her.” She raised an eyebrow at Edelgard.

_So she knew._

“Listen you know-”

“I don’t mean _that._ ” She assured. “That couldn't have helped much, but come on. Even when you guys were together, you must’ve sensed something bothering her?”

It was true. Honestly that’s what had been adding friction to their relationship.

“Maybe she’ll want to talk about it now.” Ladislava said with a shrug, and muffling a yawn. “Anway, thanks again. Let me know how it goes.” She left the room with a wave over her shoulder and Edelgard took her vacant seat with a sigh, finally turning to look at the form of her sleeping ex-girlfriend.

Byleth looked peaceful when she was sleeping. Her chest rising and falling softly. Her head leaned back just so with her indigo locks framing her face. She’d... missed the sight from their late night study sessions or early morning’s when she’d stayed the night.

She pushed that feeling down.

Whatever had been between them was over. She was just here to get her home.

She sighed and settled into the chair thinking it’d be awhile before she woke.

It wasn’t.

There was a stir at her side. A groan and a rustle as the machines came alive with subtle beeps.

“El?” Spoke the disoriented voice.

It was unfair that the mere use of that name could spike her heart and disarm her so easily. She turned to meet the groggy, bloodshot eyes of cobalt looking back at her.

“You’re… you’re here?” Byleth asked as she blinked awake. “Or… is this a dream?”

“I’m here Byleth.” She said, rising from her seat dismissively, quick to get away. “I’ll get the doctor. Then I’ll take you home.”

“Wait!” Byleth called out. The volume was surprising, but the… desperation was even more so. “Please don’t go…” She said much softer.

Edelgard paused.

“You’re… really not a dream?” She said peering closer, trying to focus through the fog of whatever meds were in her system.

“No, I’m real.”

“Didn’t think… you’d be here.”

“Didn’t really want to be.” Edelgard said sarcastically, but quickly saw the way her eyes creased, hurt by her words. “I mean, you know, at the hospital.”

Byleth’s expression changed to more neutral and she nodded staring across the room.

“I’m glad you’re here. I’ve… missed you.”

_Dammit._

Edelgard locked down on the rising swell of emotions.

“I don’t know what you want me to say to that…” Her voice trembled softly. Of course she’d missed her. But that was hardly helpful.

“I don’t either.” Byleth exhaled a long sigh. She stared intently at the stock art painting on the wall before speaking again.

“One time… when I was driving home from work... I hit a duck. I saw it in a flash, felt it go bump in the dark, and just... started crying. The rest of the way home.”

The painting was some watercolor depiction of a man in galoshes sitting in a small canoe surrounded by an indifferent sea.

“That’s how I felt when I drove away the other night…” She continued. “I shouldn’t’ve left… I should’ve fought harder for you. But I didn’t have any fight left… Fresh out…”

 _That wasn’t like her at all._ Byleth was a fighter. Not one who would seek out conflict, but one who damn well knew how to end it. But she’d lost it as of late. She had shut down instead, pushing everything and everyone away. Including Edelgard… which was what led to their split. 

“I’m sorry for not telling you why.” Byleth murmured, still studying the man in the painting as if he were a friend.

Edelgard hadn’t liked how things ended. They’d been together a little over a year. Long enough to grow familiar, short enough to still have secrets. And she could tell Byleth had been keeping a big one as of recent. She’d given her an ultimatum, and Byleth had taken the easy way out, leaving her apartment with a sorrowful look the likes of which Edelgard had never seen. She’d been tempted to go after her, but... was too proud.

“Will you tell me now?” Edelgard tried, stepping closer to the bed, arms crossed to hug her shoulders.

Byleth broke her gaze from the painting to turn to Edelgard and her cobalt eyes reflected her own sea of conflict.

“My dad died.” Byleth said in a strained voice. She looked down at Edelgard’s feet, missing the shocked look on her face as she turned.

“Your- _Byleth.”_ Edelgard practically lost her footing. _“That’s_ what’s been going on?” She’d known it was big, but not _this_ big.

Byleth stared at the ground as intently as the painting and nodded. That same forlorn expression from the other night.

“He died alone… in his house. The gardener found him. Heart failure.”

Edelgard tentatively came forward, pulling her ex-girlfriend's head gently to rest against her chest. Byleth didn’t fight her.

“You should’ve told me.” Edelgard said softly, mind still playing catch-up.

“Telling you… would make it real.” She stared at her hand now, continually finding different things to hone in on besides her ex’s face. She wore a ring on her finger that her father had given her. It was silver with red and violet jewels embedded in a starburst lily. It was the most extravagant thing she owned. It didn’t really suit her, but it was special. It had been her mother’s.

“I didn’t want it to be real yet…”

She was still reeling… feeling selfish and hurt and confused and devastated.

“And it was easier…” Byleth continued. “To lose you… than to bring you down with me.”

Edelgard took the moment to place the tips of her fingers under her chin and direct her eyes up to her.

“Not for me it wasn’t.” Edelgard said, emotion threatening to crack her composure. Byleth’s eyes now looked like the painting had drowned her, but she wouldn’t let her go. Wouldn’t release her the unforgiving tides. “But I didn’t help. You needed space and instead… I closed in on you. I’m truly… _truly_ sorry By… I had no idea.”

“I didn’t give you one.” Byleth responded, waves of woe parting before her. “I didn’t know how… to ask you for help.”

“Just like that.” Edelgard said, tears building in the corners of her eyes. Byleth quirked a wobbled smile and laughed a sad sound that Edelgard matched, leaning her chin lower to rest atop her head.

“That easy huh?” Byleth finally managed.

“It can be.” Edelgard offered.

They sat in this confession a moment longer, before Byleth could continue.

“I have to go clean out his things next week… Deal with his papers, empty out the house… I’ve been putting it off as long as I could but my time is up.”

“We can go together.” Edelgard said automatically. 

Her father lived states away, and with her recovering from whatever kind of infection this was there was no way in hell she was sending her off on her own for something like this.

“You’d… come with me?” Byleth said sounding awed and taking her hand in her own.

“I would, By. Just ask.” Her voice was still emotional, and she squatted down to be on eye-level with her. Byleth stared deeply back at her without saying anything, to the point she worried the antibiotics had knocked her unconscious, before she blurted.

“Edelgard… will you come with me to clean out my father’s house? I hate to ask something like this of you… but I’ve never done this… and I’m scared… I think it’ll be less scary with you there.”

Edelgard felt the panic in her words, and went with her instincts to soothe her, leaning in and kissing her cheek, drawing her eyes back to her.

“Of course I will By.”

She didn’t know where they were on the spectrum, and right now she couldn’t care less. The label didn't matter. What mattered was that she wasn’t driving herself to deal with the death of her last living family. What mattered was that she wasn’t alone.

Edelgard thought to say more, but was distracted when she felt Byleth’s hand on her own.

She looked down to see her sliding a silver ring off one of her fingers, the only jewelry she had ever known her to wear. She took Edelgard’s hand, and surprised her, transferring the ring over to her.

Edelgard’s lips parted in protest or shock or some third thing she couldn't process at the moment. But no sound made its way out. Though the question must’ve shown in her eyes.

Byleth held her hand in both of her own and gently scraped her thumbs above and below the skin where the band rested. She hummed a small sound that rang of conviction.

“Look at that… it suits you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ba-bam. I hope you enjoyed? And I hope you’ll return for another. It’s been a lousy week of writing capped off by an awesome day, and isn’t that just how it goes sometimes? But I ran that energy to finish this off and I put some scenes together finally for After Stockholm, Olympics AU, and my secret project. So it’s been a solid day. Imma go make some quesadillas and popcorn and maybe a stiff drink. 😅 And then collapse for a bit. Maybe see the sun for a change.
> 
> Thanks as always for reading :)
> 
> What did ya think of this one as compared to part one?


End file.
